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Adopt Blog Posts

For adoptable cats Mario and Ricky, it’s all about living a balanced life. They aren’t the type of guys to rush into things. These independent cats, who are best buddies and would like to be adopted together, are shy and prefer to take things slow. They may need a little extra time to warm up to their new surroundings, but with a space to themselves and the help of a few yummy treats, these two will happily adjust to their new home in no time!

These sweet cats like affection on occasion, but also enjoy quality time alone relaxing on the couch or in their favorite chair. They’d make the perfect match for a family looking to bring home two furry friends that don’t require a lot of attention. Mario and Ricky would do best in a quiet household with an experienced adopter. Adopt Mario and Ricky today!

Mario and Ricky are available for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center. If you are interested in adopting, please call our Adoptions department in New York City at (212) 876-7700 ext. 4120. To learn more about these best friends, please visit Mario and Ricky’s profile pages.

Looking for a sweet and sensitive kitty companion? Look no further than Glenda (pictured right) or Kathy (pictured below). These pretty girls both have special needs, and are each looking for patient and caring forever families to love and take care of them.*

Glenda and Kathy are both diabetic and will require daily insulin shots from their adopters—but with proper care and special diets, their conditions can be well-managed. While it would be great if Glenda and Kathy’s adoptive families be familiar with feline diabetes, our medical team can show you the ropes and help you address their unique health needs.

We know adopting pets with special needs can be both a financial and time commitment, but these sweet girls will reward you with plenty of love in return! Glenda and Kathy would do best with experienced adopters, and Kathy would prefer to be the only cat in the household. Adopt Glenda or Kathy today!

*Note: While Glenda and Kathy have similar needs, they do not need to be adopted together.

Glenda and Kathy are available for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center. If you are interested in adopting, please call our Adoptions department in New York City at (212) 876-7700 ext. 4120. To learn more about these pretty ladies, please visit Glenda and Kathy’sprofile pages.

Pixie is an energetic pup who has a lot of love to give—especially to her favorite people! She may come across as shy at first, but don’t be fooled. Once she gets to know you, this pretty lady will stick by your side like glue.

Whether going for a jog or playing with other dogs her size, Pixie loves to get plenty of playtime and exercise. This busy girl is in a hurry to get to where she’s going and would do best with an experienced adopter who is willing to spend time running around with her. Pixie would fit in well in an adults-only home. Adopt Pixie today!

Pixie is available for adoption at the ASPCA Adoption Center. If you are interested in adopting, please call our Adoptions department in New York City at (212) 876-7700 ext. 4120. To learn more about Pixie, please visit her profile page.

Looking back at all of our Happy Tails, a clear theme emerges: pets are more than just furry, four-legged animals living in our homes. They are our best friends, our support systems, and our constant sources of joy. That’s why, when Joshua S. was struggling through a difficult period in his life, a dog named Brewster was the only thing able to turn it all around. Here is their Happy Tail.

Joshua grew up with dogs—a Pomeranian and a Newfoundland—but had been without a pup of his own since moving to New York City. While going through what he describes as “the most trying time in my life,” Joshua thought the companionship of a dog was just what he needed. At the end of May, he headed to the ASPCA Adoption Center in search of a little companion. “I was originally looking to adopt a smaller breed as they seemed more practical for city living,” says Joshua. “However, when I began looking at the ASPCA, I fell in love with pit bulls.”

Fortunately for Joshua, Brewster—a one-year-old pit bull—was at the ASPCA Adoption Center waiting for his new forever home. He and another dog, Bonnie, first came to the ASPCA in October 2013 after being rescued from an abusive situation. Though initially timid and nervous around new people, Brewster’s puppy-like energy soon shone through, and he was eager to meet the right person.

“I knew Brewster was the dog for me as soon as I saw him,” says Joshua. “I had seen quite a few dogs, but when I got to his room, he immediately jumped up and wanted to play.” The two spent some time getting to know each other, but Joshua was already certain that Brewster was right choice. “He was so affectionate, and you could tell that he had so much love to give. I knew definitively that he was the one.”

Back at home, Joshua’s new companion proved to be everything he had hoped for. “Brewster sleeps with me at night, and if he’s not curled up at the end of my bed, he’s next to me with one paw resting below my shoulder as if he’s protecting me.” Brewster loves to daydream by the windowsill, and the two pals spend lots of time together at the dog park, running, and exploring the neighborhood. Before Joshua leaves for work, he says, “Brewster will literally jump up and wrap his arms around me to give me a hug. He does the same when I return home, except he has a lot of kisses as well.”

Both Joshua and Brewster persevered through a period of suffering before they found each other, and their bond is so much stronger because of it. “I thought the companionship of a dog would help me through,” says Joshua, “and Brewster has done just that. He has helped me more than I could ever imagine possible.”

Brewster’s sister, Bonnie, is still waiting for her forever home. If you are interested in adopting this sweet girl, please contact the ASPCA Adoption Center at 212-876-770 ext. 4120.

Animal lovers from across the Lone Star State adopted 2,256 cats, kittens, dogs and puppies—and even a few pocket pets—on Saturday, August 16, during “Empty the Shelter Day,” the largest ever pet adoption effort in North Texas, sponsored in part by the ASPCA.

Shelters large and small, municipal and non-profit—33 total—literally emptied their shelters during the one-day, fee-waived adoption event.

“It was a sight to see and the best day of my 18-year career,” said Corey Price, animal services manager for the City of Irving Animal Services, an open-admission shelter. “Veterans of the animal welfare community were left speechless, and shelter workers and volunteers shed tears as they walked past empty kennels and cages.”

It was Price who set the wheels in motion in June for the multiple-shelter collaboration when she and her staff began thinking beyond the smaller scale “Empty the Shelter” event they had hosted in previous years. They pitched the idea to broadcaster NBC5/Telemundo39, which immediately got on board, and began spreading the word.

Shelters signed on like wildfire. NBC5/Telemundo39 provided PSAs and promotional coverage; the ASPCA provided funds for other local advertising and grassroots efforts.

Lines of soon-to-be-adopters began at 7 a.m. at the Humane Society of North Texas in Ft. Worth.

Ann Barnes, executive director of the Humane Society of North Texas, the oldest animal welfare agency in the region, placed more animals—339—than any other single agency, said the event was “all hands on deck” for her team and, despite the Texas heat and long lines, “the community support was overwhelming.”

At Dallas Animal Services, customers waited as long as three hours to adopt but were “patient and committed,” says Rebecca Poling, a board member of the Dallas Companion Animal Project, which supplied volunteers to DAS for the event. “It was not so much about adopting a pet for free as it was about saving lives. The event really gave people the chance to be a part of something.”

“People got the message,” adds Pam Burney, vice president of community initiatives for the ASPCA and who visited several participating shelters during the event. “What’s great is all the shelters did well—even small ones.”

That’s certainly true of North Richland Hills Animal Adoption & Rescue Center, which placed 39 pets during their event. “In 2013, for the entire month of August, we placed less than that—just 34,” says Chun Mezger, humane division supervisor for the City of North Richland Hills. “Our community really supported us.”

Staff at North Richland Hills Animal Adoption & Rescue Center rallied in memory of their co-worker Mary Beth Chastain who died of cancer four days earlier. The shelter placed 39 pets during the event—more adoptions than in the entire month of August 2013.

For Chun’s staff, the event was also tinged with sadness. “We just lost one of our own—Mary Beth Chastain, a humane officer—to cancer on Wednesday,” Mezger says. “But our team did an amazing job pulling together to honor Mary Beth by ‘knocking it out of the park’ on Saturday.”

In 2013, aggregate adoptions for the same 33 participating shelters, on the same August day, was just 266, according to Price. The final count for Empty the Shelter Day increased that number nearly ten-fold.

“For the first time ever, our two shelters were nearly empty,” says James Bias, president and CEO of the SPCA of Texas, where just three dogs remained at the organization’s Jan Rees-Jones Animal Care Center in Dallas and its Russell H. Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney stood empty. “In one day, 163 animals found their forever homes—half as many as find homes in any given week.”

By 4 PM, HSNT had run out of dogs (Courtesy HSNT)

“We’ve never seen room after room of empty kennels,” adds Barnes, whose organization was out of its 208 dogs by 4 p.m. and by day’s end had also placed 126 cats, two rabbits and three other small mammals. “It was a real morale booster.”

By 2:30 p.m., Dallas Animal Services was out of adoptable pets and began directing clients to its Lost and Found area where they could pre-adopt animals on stray hold if they went unclaimed. “I’d never seen it empty like this since the day we opened,” says Poling. “Pod after pod, row after row. It was almost eerie. But it was a great thing.”

Despite the myth that fee-waived adoptions don’t yield good homes for cats and dogs, Barnes says her team’s experience during “Empty the Shelter” de-bunked that theory. “Our adoption applications were perfect—just what we wanted for each animal,” she says. Adds the ASPCA’s Burney: “It’s only the fee that was waived, not the criteria. In fact, some adopters visited shelters on Friday and paid fees so they could be sure to get first pick.”

In the end, says Price, the best part was not only the support from the community, but how “participating shelters embraced and ran with the concept.”

“I’m really impressed with the North Texas animal welfare community,” she says. “This is just the beginning.”